With the return of the fan-favorite franchiseCall of Duty,Modern Warfare 3has received many positive reviews from the community. This time, fans got everything they asked for from the developers. Slide-cancelling and reload-cancelling have made a comeback, along with an increased TTK. Thereturn of nostalgic mapshas driven fans crazy with excitement.
In Multiplayer modes such as domination or TDM, LMGs are wildly used weapons due to their ability to eradicate an entire lobby with their deadly power and heavy ammunition. LMG fanatics are delighted with the newly added variety of LMGs inModern Warfare 3. Here are all the LMGs ranked in order.
Updated on July 03, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat:Light Machine Guns are powerful weapons that can destroy enemies and crush their hopes of survival. It is one of the most destructive weapon categories in Modern Warfare 3 and players usually prefer LMGs to other weapons due to the larger magazine size and fewer reloadings.
That being said, there are more factors to consider when choosing the best LMG in the game rather than just the magazine size. The upper body DPS could provide a better understanding of the weapon’s capability to deal damage to opponents with decent aiming skills.
56
48
40.6 m
415 ms
Movement Speed
5.1 m/s
TAQ Evolvere isone of the capable LMGsin Modern Warfare 3 with the highest headshot and upper body damage among all weapons of this category. Despite Evolvere’s bulky look, it is the lightest LMG in Modern Warfare 3, which delivers the highest movement speed in the category.
Despite all these winning edges, TAQ Evolvere suffers from a pretty low fire rate, which is why it stands behind all other LMGs when we rank them based on the upper body DPS. So, this weapon is only great for sharpshooters who don’t miss headshots.
54
49
38.1 m
450 ms
4.1 m/s
Pulemyot 762does a great jobat handling challenging situations and supporting players against violent enemies. This LMG boasts a 100-round magazine and 100 rounds in reserve, paired with significant damage rate and excellent recoil control.
Similar to TAQ Evolvere, Pulemyot 762 also has a low fire rate. In fact, this weapon has the lowest fire rate among all the LMGs available in Modern Warfare 3, which is the reason why the DPS rate is almost on par with the Evolvere.
42
33
30.7 m
310 ms
4.5 m/s
TheHCR 56uses the 5.56 NATO and has fast and hard-hitting capabilities. Its 60-round fast mag drills into the bones of heavily shielded enemies with ease. The HCR 56 is agile and deals great damage at mid and long ranges.
The weapon is light enough to give a slight movement speed advantage when compared to other LMGs on the list but still stands way behind TAQ Evolvere in this aspect. That said, HCR 56 is a great LMG for run-and-gun, thanks to its high fire rate, though the damage stats are disappointing.
35
34.3 m
320 ms
TheDG-58 LSWis one of the Modern Warfare 3 exclusive LMGs with a 60-round mag and a reserve of 120 rounds. It has pretty balanced damage and a great fire rate. The accuracy of this gun is pretty decent and it is easy to handle.
What makes DG-58 a suitable option for smaller maps with many movements is its brief ADS time. When players move a lot on the maps, they do need to enter and exit ADS quickly, and DG-58 LSW has a winning edge in that specific part compared to most other LMGs available in the game.
28.2 m
380 ms
4.4 m/s
TheRPKis also a gun returning fromCall Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It is a great LMG with a great range and a solid kick of recoil. It is capable of complete destruction due to its bullet velocity and damage-dealing properties.With the right attachments, this gun is terrifying.
While the effective range is a bit shorter compared to other LMGs on the list, RPK comes with decent damage and fire rates, which helps it get an acceptable DPS rate overall with a not-too-long ADS time for an LMG.
44
32
36.1 m
420 ms
4.3 m/s
Although this gun is bulky and can’t be moved around easily, it still packs serious heat. With a 7.62 receiver and a magazine capacity of 75 rounds, Rapp H acts as one of thebest support weaponsto keep enemies away from objectives.
Rapp H’s high fire rate and incredible bullet velocity help it a lot with killing the opponents quickly, but it also comes with a long reload time of 7.7 seconds, which is not ideal for game modes with smaller maps and lots of close quarters. After all, hiding from enemies for almost 8 seconds is not an easy job.
40
37
31.8 m
300 ms
With its mag capacity of 60 rounds and reserve ammo of 120, Holger 26 is the weapon of choice for players rushing in guns blazing. It has great damage range and increased bullet velocity. For those without much practice with LMGs, this weapon is a fantastic starter.
Holger 26 has the shortest ADS time among all LMGs in Modern Warfare 3, which makes it a suitable option for close-quarter combat. Both damage rate and fire rate are decent and the movement speed is also slightly better than most other weapons on this list.
34
24.1 m
350 ms
4.6 m/s
Now for the top 5 LMGs, atnumber 5 is the556 Icaruswith its great firepower and awesome handling. It has acceptable recoil control along with decent damage-dealing capabilities. This gun is good to use at short ranges along with great accuracy.
Thanks to its lighter weight and higher fire rate, 556 Icarus will be a great deal for the smaller maps, but it is not suggested for large-scale battles as the effective range is quite short for an LMG.
43
29.7 m
TheBruen MK9is another LMGthat can deal substantial damage to enemies with ease. It uses 5.56 NATO rounds that deal great damage at short ranges with decent recoil control. This gun is easily one of the best LMGs in the game.
The headshot damage for Bruen is significantly high compared to 556 Icarus, which is one of the reasons why it takes a higher spot on the list. Moreover, Bruen has much less horizontal recoil, which makes it more accurate for mid-range battles.
50
41
32.5 m
410 ms
TheSakin MG38is a returning gunfromCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It is an extremely powerful gun with great ammo reserves. With a 100-mag capacity, this gun is perfect for spraying enemies with bullets. The Sakin MG38 has a good damage range with blazing bullet velocity.
Thanks to its high damage and decent fire rate, Sakin is a superbly balanced LMG that is great for both short and medium-range battles. The weapon’s minimal horizontal recoil also makes it easier to control when targeting enemies at longer distances.
57
52
41.9 m
4.2 m/s
TheRAAL MGis a fully automatic LMG that provides great firepower and resilience. It uses .388 Magnum caliber with a magazine capacity of 75. The gun proves to be a deadly one due to its range and mobility. This weapon delivers the highest headshot and upper body damage rates among all LMGs, which compensates for its low fire rate.
When it comes to range, RAAL MG is one of the few LMGs that can be used for long-range gunfights, though controlling the high vertical recoil will need some practice.
39
36
33 m
330 ms
For those looking for the highest fire rate,TAQ Eradicator is the best option availablein Modern Warfare 3. The fire rate is almost close to an SMG in TAQ Eradicator, and it comes with decent damage rates and an acceptable effective range, which is enough for mid-range battles.
The ADS time for TAQ Eradicator is also shorter than most other LMGs, which makes it a better option for close-quarter game modes in multiplayer.
